Facing back-to-back games of win-or-go-home, the Wylie Pirates found another gear.

Trailing Mesquite Horn 1-0 in their three-game series in the bi-district round of the state playoffs, the No. 8 Pirates (14-0, 29-7) won two straight games to advance to the second round. 

Wylie closed the door on Horn in game three, winning 6-2 Saturday thanks to late runs in the fifth and sixth innings and an excellent pitching performance from Hannah Messer. She struck out nine batters and surrendered just two hits in the win, while the Pirates had 10 hits.

Wylie faces Temple next in the area championship round after holding Horn to two hits in games two and three of their first-round series. 

Game one of the area championship round will be this Friday at Waxahachie at 6 p.m. Games two and three (if necessary) will be Saturday at the same location. 

To read the full story, see next week’s issue. For more news and sports stories, see The Wylie News in print or online. Support your community newspaper for less than $40 a year.

By Kyle Grondin • kgrondin@csmediatexas.com